@article{18669,
  keywords = {Drug Therapy, Combination, Humans, Leprostatic Agents, leprosy, Time Factors},
  author = {Vijayakumaran P and Jesudasan K and Manimozhi N},
  title = {Fixed-duration therapy (FDT) in multibacillary leprosy; efficacy and complications.},
  abstract = {<p>The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a multidrug therapy (MDT) regimen for multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients in 1982 which was to be administered for a minimum period of 2 years or until a skin smear was negative for acid-fast bacilli, whichever was later. This regimen contains rifampin, dapsone and clofazimine. A single dose of rifampin was shown to effect a high degree of bacterial killing (99.9%). The combined therapy administered for 2 years may be adequate to bring about "total" bacterial killing and to prevent the emergence of drug resistance and persisters. In this study, 360 smear-positive and previously untreated MB leprosy patients were treated with WHO/MDT for 2 years; 22.8% of these MB patients developed lepra reaction during therapy and 10.7% during surveillance. The bacterial index continued to decline even after termination of fixed-duration therapy. None of these patients relapsed during 886 person-years of surveillance.</p>},
  year = {1996},
  journal = {International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association},
  volume = {64},
  pages = {123-7},
  month = {1996 Jun},
  issn = {0148-916X},
  url = {http://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v64n2a04.pdf},
  language = {eng},
}